Alloying compositions



2,56,35056 1 ALLOYING comrosrrions Frank Alden Miller, St. Petersburg, Fla., assignor to H. J. Dion Company, a corporation of Michigan No Drawing. Application December 28, 1950, Serial No. 203,210

1 Claim.

This application relates to alloying compositions and more particularly to compositions useful as additives to steel or iron mixtures for imparting advantageous properties to such mixtures.

The additive formula is as follows:

49 parts by weight tellurium 40 parts by weight manganese parts by weight titanium 1 part by weight rhodium An additive of the above formula may be mixed and formed in pellets of any suitable size, such as small briquets, bars, lumps, etc.

In certain instances the materials of the above formula may be incorporated directly into a molten mixture of iron or metal and stirred into the mixture. However, it is preferred to prepare the additive in pellets first and then to introduce one or more of such pellets in a ladle of the molten iron or steel before pouring from the ladle. Generally, about 2 ounces of additive per ton of iron is the proportion preferred.

Titanium and rhodium have the faculty of breaking down the molecular structure of iron and steel, but these elements do not always operate satisfactorily. Sometimes they do not operate at all and remain dormant in the mixture.

The tellurium acts as an initiator or catalyst to cause these elements to operate consistently. Tellurium, even in minute quantities, has long been recognized as a skin hardener for metals, a result known as chill and. generally considered undesirable. However, since the pellets are introduced in a proportion of about 2 ounces per ton of iron, the quantity of tellurium present is insufficient to cause chill to the metal in amounts that are considered objectionable. Where tellurium alone is used, it requires about 5 ounces per ton of iron to give even barely noticeable amounts of chill. Tellurium as here used is approximately 1 ounce per ton of iron.

The tellurium creates a molecular agitation of the iron molecules which are then susceptible to joining the magnesium and rhodium molecules and it is the junction of these molecules which cause the molecular transposition in the iron. Thus, the tellurium acts as a sort of catalyst but more exactly as a multiple stage basic catalytic reactivator. The molecular structure of the iron is broken down by the tellurium to enable the titanium and rhodium molecules to move into the iron mass and join it under lowered resistance.

The structure is not damaged, but rather improved, by this process as the grain structure becomes finer and of a higher degree of uniformity.

The manganese is used as a moderator or shock cushion to prevent the other elements from acting in so violent a manner as to fracture or strain the whole mass. The manganese prevents the other elements from causing a boiling over of the iron when the other elements are added. When the mixture, as here indicated, including manganese, is added in regular foundry practice to molten iron, the entire mass of iron immediately shows agitation or working and sparking, and the temperature increases considerably. If the manganese were omitted the iron mass would boil over and get out of controland the final resultant product would have objectionable fissures.

The mixture of titanium and rhodium causes the uniformity of grain structure of the iron, with tellurium acting as an initiator or catalyst and with the manganese preventing the boiling over of the iron mass when the titanium and rhodium mixture is added.

While some variations in the above formula as to percentages are possible, experiments have shown that the proportions given produce optimum results. We have found that variations as little as five per cent, plus or minus, on each element did not prove satisfactory. It is our opinion that the maximum latitudes of percentages are two per cent for each ingredient. Thus, the range can be from 48 to 50 parts by weight of tellurium, 39 to 41 parts by weight'of manganese, 9.8 to 10.2 parts by weight of titanium, and .98 to 1.02 parts by weight of rhodium.

Likewise, for optimum results, none of the elements of this formula can be omitted and, likewise for optimum results, chemicals other than those here listed should not be added to the formula.

We have found that adding the formula above given to molten iron changes the molecular structure of castings produced from such iron, with the result that a finer and more uniform grain is created. In a good grade of gray iron, the change of grain structure has increased the tensile strength as much as twenty to forty per cent, as well as improving the ductility, flexibility, and machinability of the iron. Likewise, the improvement in grain structure permits the rubbing of the material against itself or against ordinary cast iron as a bushing or bearing without scoring of the material.

, It is believed possible that other advantages to the present formula may be discovered through later experimentation. Likewise, it is believed possible that steel can be improved by the addition of the formula in the form here suggested.

Now having described the alloying composition or additive of my invention, reference should be had to the claim which follows.

I claim:

An additive or alloying composition for molten iron or-steel comprising 49 parts by weight tellurium, 40 parts by weight manganese; 10 parts by Weight titanium, and 1 part by weight rho- 10 4 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Dempster Mar. 29, 1910 

